


old hand

by peleliu



Category: Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3293624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peleliu/pseuds/peleliu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The guy who sent me said I was supposed to be looking for a... warrior, or something," Ajay says lamely, and he's startled by Jason's manic laugh, a bark of sound that's too sharp in the muffled still of the cabin.</p><p>"Let's just avoid that word, huh?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	old hand

**Author's Note:**

> filling a thing. [this thing](http://farcry4-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/436.html?thread=2740#cmt2740).

 It isn't until he's half way up the mountain that Ajay really comes to terms with the fact that he's been sent on a wild goose chase. Even Sabal hadn't sounded sure about it, recounting secondhand stories of some unidentified presence living off in the middle of nowhere, stories about a guy who just showed up one day, might have helped some people, might have killed some people, and might have disappeared to parts unknown. Or parts known, considering he has a map with a circle drawn on it and he thinks he's going in the right direction but he's not sure if the rough line he's walking is a trail or a bad idea.

 "I've heard he is a soldier, a freedom-fighter, a warrior, a lunatic," Sabal had said, with a particular sort of incredulity that he was pretty good at playing off. But it was with resigned sincerity that he went on, "Whatever he is, if he could help us, then it's worth a look at least."

 And then he'd given Ajay a map with a circle on it, a compass, and an almost apologetic hand squeezing at his shoulder, and Ajay had taken his orders and marched off to climb a mountain.

 Now he's shin-deep in snow and the wind keeps trying to snatch his hood off and he thinks he'd prefer climbing up some rickety bell tower over scaling what he's pretty much decided is not a path after some deliberation and one slip that nearly landed him on his ass. So really he isn't sure it's a relief or not when he claws his way around a bend and finds himself staring at a little cottage with warm lit windows and a red door. And he does stare for a good few minutes, because this is reality, and he's meant to be hunting down some insane mountain warrior if the reports are to be believed, and the map he had decided was a practical joke has led him to a _fucking cottage._

 The trek up to the door feels longer than the entire climb. Two steps up out of the snow and he's parked himself on the tiny front porch to regard the door like he expects it to disappear with the next strong gust of wind. What is he supposed to do now? Knock?

 In the end, that's exactly what he does. He lifts a hand and taps the backs of his knuckles against wood too solid to be a hallucination and then stands there, waiting. Nothing happens right away. The cold starts to seep through his jacket and he knocks again, wonders if the door is going to open at all, or if, more likely, there's going to be some disgruntled old woman on the other side wanting to know why the hell someone's pestering her at near the crack of dawn. _How did I end up here again?_

 It's mid-thought that the door does open, and Ajay's so busy staring balefully at the floor - no welcome mat, thank god -- that at first all he sees are the scuffed toes of someone's brown combat boots. He follows them up, past cargo pants and pale brown gloves and a blue knit sweater, and _up_ until he's staring at the man who's regarding him with a sort of patient frown.

 He thinks, they've got to be the same age, and then, there's no way this is the guy he's here to see.

 "Hi?"

 Ajay jolts, catching himself in a snap back to the present, because whoever this guy is Ajay is still standing on his porch like an idiot so he might as well say _something._ 'Something' turns out to be, "Uhh," and he's never felt more intelligent. He almost shakes himself, tries again, because the guy is still giving him this look like he's not all that put-out by the interruption but Ajay's really still wasting his time. "Sorry," he tries again, and now he's frowning a little, struggling to put together all the pieces of this mess. "I'm looking for--"

 And then he realizes he isn't sure, that he'd never actually been given a name for the mysterious maybe-soldier-probably-crazy mountain man he'd been sent to find, and embarrassment crawls up the back of his neck. "Somebody said there's a, uh, soldier. Up here," he says, and it comes out stiff, awkward, but the other guy just looks sort of amused.

 "Heard that one before," is the reply, and then the guy is stepping back and gesturing Ajay inside, and Ajay's beginning to wonder if he isn't just passed out in Yogi and Reggie's tent again. But he lets himself be shown inside, hangs his jacket by the door, follows this nameless man to a sitting area with furniture that looks older than either of them and the couch creaks softly when he sits but it's pretty comfortable either way.

 His host disappears through the only other doorway out of the room, comes back a moment later with two bottles, and then Ajay finds himself holding a beer. The guy sits across from him in a wood-framed, plush chair, sprawled out easily, and gives Ajay a measuring look. Ajay tries to sit less stiffly and fails.

 "You got a name?" the guy asks, and Ajay nearly says, _Do you?_ because he's feeling off-kilter and contrary for it but he doesn't.

 "Ajay Ghale," he says instead, watchful. The guy across from him grins and it's a little weird. Or maybe it's just friendly.

 "Jason Brody," he supplies without prompting, and there's something careful about his smile now, almost expectant. Ajay doesn't know why, so he just nods and loosens his grip on the neck of his beer bottle.

 "Good to meet you," he says, like they’re taking turns. "Sorry about showing up unannounced," he adds, because he's not completely inept, and Jason flashes a grin that feels kind of out of place. Or is it friendly again?

 "You're not the first," Jason says, takes a long pull from his bottle and leans back in his chair. "You'd think the weird stories and shitty walk'd keep more people away."

 Ajay finds himself at a loss then, watching the man across from him -- Jason, the name so mundane it's almost funny -- drink his beer like he's completely at ease. And apparently he's aware of the rumors circulating about him, basically just confirmed he's exactly who Ajay's looking for even if it's probably all bullshit, but he doesn't really look like he cares so Ajay isn't sure. He feels himself frowning, and Jason's giving him that almost expectant look again, and he doesn't actually know what to do with himself now that he's got the chance.

 "Sorry," Ajay says, shaking his head. "I guess you're not what I was expecting."

 It feels kind of dumb once he says it, but Jason just grins. "Think I was gonna be taller?" he asks, and Ajay regards him in silence. "You know, because you're... Nevermind." Jason coughs and sips his beer again, eyebrows up and eyes aside, and Ajay squints for the span of seconds before finally sitting back a little.

 "The guy who sent me said I was supposed to be looking for a... warrior, or something," Ajay says lamely, and he's startled by Jason's manic laugh, a bark of sound that's too sharp in the muffled still of the cabin.

 "Let's just avoid that word, huh?" Jason says. Drags a hand through his hair, already a mess and worse for the abuse. "So what're you here for, exactly?" he asks, turning to Ajay again. "You didn't say _who_ sent you, just that you were lookin' for me."

 There's something sharp about the way he asks, not quite accusation. Caution, maybe, and Ajay finds the same settles all along his spine. Careful, cautious. It's a sudden turn from warmth and hospitality, and Ajay's given to wonder which part is the act.

 "His name's Sabal," Ajay says, casual as he can, but they're both watchful now. Watchful of each other like they're neither of them sure how this is going to go. "He's with the Golden Path, they're--"

 "I know who they are," Jason interrupts, but it isn't harsh. He just says it and shrugs, and the tension's gone, just like that. He leans against the arm of his chair and sips his beer and Ajay tries to shrug his tension off with the same practiced ease, but it's on him like uncertainty.

 "You said people've come up here before," Ajay says. "Golden Path?"

 Jason shakes his head, says, "Nah," and his boot scuffs softly over the rug that covers the floor when he stretches his leg out. "Just... people, mostly. People in trouble. They call sometimes, ask for help. Not the soldiers though, I wouldn't..."

 There's a beat of silence, and Ajay watches Jason while Jason just stares vaguely toward the window. When he looks back it's abrupt enough that Ajay nearly jumps.

 "Not you guys," Jason says, come back to himself.

 It's impulse that drives Ajay to repeat, "You guys?"

 "Golden Path," Jason says, like clarification.

 Ajay's shaking his head as soon as it's out there. "I'm not--" _One of them?_ That feels harsh, unnecessary. "-- From here," he says in the end, mostly true, and there's something strange about the way Jason regards him in silence for a few long seconds, dispelled when he sits back to drain the last of his beer.

 "Me either," Jason says eventually. Sets his bottle on the coffee table between them and resettles with his arms folded loosely across his chest. "But you still want my help."

 And that's the meat of it. Ajay feels a little pinned, trying to figure out how to make the request. Friendly as Jason seems, Ajay's beginning to think he shouldn't have come up here in the first place.

 "Yeah," he says at length, shrugging one shoulder. "I guess."

 "Not your idea though, huh?" Jason says. It doesn't feel like a question, so Ajay doesn't answer, and Jason looks off in the direction of the window again.

 The silence feels one-sided. Ajay isn't sure what to make of it, can't think of a way to break it and so lets it be, just waits while Jason's mouth pulls into a line, a look of distant concentration that isn't directed at him, he thinks.

 "If you're not Golden Path, how'd you end up here?" Jason asks, and Ajay looks up but Jason's still looking out the window, eyes fixed on some faraway point Ajay can't determine.

 There's a pattern in the rug, worn and red on dark, dark blue. Ajay studies it and tries to keep his tone neutral. "Long story," he says, and when he looks up again Jason is watching him, unreadable. Just staring at him, steady and searching, and in a minute Ajay's not going to be comfortable with it but he isn't sure what he'll do about it, so he's near relieved when Jason finally smiles.

 "I know the feeling," Jason says, and Ajay blinks but Jason's already rising from his chair. Straightening up and circling around, all self-assured while Ajay's frowning uncertainly.

 "Just lemme put some food down for my cat, and maybe you can tell me your story on the way down," Jason's saying while Ajay stares at his back blankly because wasn't he supposed to be trying to convince this guy to go along with him? And also, "You have a cat?"

 There's a shuffling in the other room. Jason wanders back into view with a small glass dish in one hand and a paper bag in the other, casual to a fault. "Her name's Alice," he supplies. Sets the dish on a side table and heaps food into it. "She's real friendly."

 "You have a cat named _Alice?_ " Ajay says, stalling on that detail above anything else.

 "It was funny when I was really drunk," Jason says, looking at Ajay sidelong with a sort of half-hidden grimace, then rolls down the top of the bag and bends to tuck it into the cupboard under the table, and Ajay stands up because he gets the feeling they're leaving, even if that doesn't make a lot of sense.

 He's got his coat on when he turns to Jason again, frowns until the other man notices and looks up in the middle of zipping his own jacket, a question in the way his eyebrows dart up.

 "Why're you just going along with this?" Ajay asks, doesn't bother to cover his incredulity. "I thought you said you wouldn't work with soldiers."

 And Jason gives him that look again. Pointed, expectant. Like he knows something that Ajay doesn't and isn't about to explain what it is. He says, "Ever feel like you have to do something, and you don't know why?" And then, while Ajay's struggling to find an answer, he adds, "Anyway, you said you're not a soldier. So you can be one of those people who calls me when they're in trouble, and maybe I can help."

 Jason grins and Ajay doesn't know what to say to that, so he lets himself be steered out the door and back into the cold and whipping wind with a maybe-soldier, definitely not-warrior, probably-lunatic following at his heels.  
  
 They're halfway down the dubious trail when it strikes him to defend his pride, to mutter, "I'm not in trouble, by the way."

 And Jason laughs in a way that makes Ajay feel like he's missed the joke, but it's friendly, so he lets it go.


End file.
